Folding crate



08u11, 1932. F. H. WARREN 1,882,048

FOLDING CRATE Filed oct. 4. 1929 mmm 2 mmm ,L 5 i A Wlmllmm; j j mmmmm mmm Patented Oct. 11, 1932 UNHTED s'rArs FRANK H. wAEEEN, oF PARIS, TEXAS, AssIGNoETo oUlvrlvrEE MANUFACTURING f COMPANY, oE-PAEIs, TEXAs FOLDING CRATE i Application filed october 4, "1929.,1 serial No. 397,239.

This invention appertains to improvements in folding crates generally, and more partic-l ularly to a type thereof as is usually employed for the packing and shipping of 5 onions and the like. y

An object of the invention isA to provide a crate of the class set forth, wllich embodies an extremely simplified construction and arrangement of parts whereby the staching of two or more of the crates, one upon Y the other, as in the packing of the same in storage ware-houses or loading them in freight cars or the like is facilitated and the several superimposed crates ill each stack or tier thereof will be Vvertically alined in engaged relation such as will allow for the utilization of all available space to be occupied by the stacks or tiers and will prevent accidental displacement of individual crates from position. v

Another object of the invention is to' pro-V vide a slatted crate structure with means for securing the overlapping end portions of the slats together ill a manner that the side and ily folded against one another in a usual manner and into compact form for storage in stock or reshipment and whereby the securing means will in no way interfere with the stacking or loading of the crates as hereinbefore indicated nor injure the contents of acrate.

With the foregoing and other equally important objects and advantages in view, the r invention resides inthe certain new and useful combination, construction and arrangement of Vparts as will be hereinafter more fully described, set forth in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of two of the improved Crates arranged in stacked or superimposed relation;

Figure 2 is a vertical section 5 line 2 2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of adjacent corner portions of a pair of crates in position for loading or stacking.

Referring to the drawing, the embodiment taken on the end walls of a completed crate, may be reador the invention, a, illustrated therein byway i of example, is constitutedin a pair of opp'osltelyarranged lower transverse'bars 10,

on which are arranged superimposed alter-1 nate pairsv of longitudinal and -transverse slats 11 andV 12, respectively, and aV pairof upper transverse bars 13 are'supported vin position on'the opposite ends lofthe upper.- most pair of the longitudinal bars V11.v

The adjacent ends of these' several pairs of? bars'lO, 11, -12 and 134 are arranged vin overlapping relation and are securedl to'- gether on vertical members orrods 14 pass` ing Avertically through alined openings in thesame; the upper ends yofthe members'or rods A1&1 being headed, as at 15,"and the'lower ends thereof bent angularly# inward, as-at 16, and into engagementwith slotted openings 17 formed in the lower inner portionsA of the lowerinner side portions of theV bottoln transversebars 1Q. -By this arrangement,

the opposite side and end'walls ofthe crates willhingeon these'members or rods Pfand may be folded one against lthe other inthe usual manner of this type of such containers. In thepresent'instance of the invention, the top or'fupp'er barsor'rails 13 have Atheir uppermost lfaces longitudinally grooved, as at 18,'while the'lower facesof the bottom or lower'most bars orl rails 10 are formedV with longitudinally extending beads or rounded tongue portions 19, which will seat in the grooves 18 of the upper bars or rails 13, when one ofthe crates is placed in positionv on another, asin the stacking of a number of the crates in tiers :within a storage warehouse 'ori freight car or the like.'A

As shown in Figure l, a` suitable bottom 2O is "provided for each crate andthe same is vinterposed between the bottom or lower 'transversebars or rails 10 and the acent of thelongitudinal slats 11. Similarly,fclo sures (not shown) willalso be provided, and these will be placed in position on the uppermost of the longitudinal slats 11 and beneath the upper transverse bars or rails 13.A It is to be noted that the relative positions of the bottom and upper transverse bars or rails 13 may be reversed without in anyway posed in thegsame plane, thelowermost-pair affecting the utility of the same as hereinbefore stated.

Without further description, it is thought that the features and advantages ofthe invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of Vcourse ,be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from theV spirit of the invention or itsscopeas'claimed., ,t u

I claim:

1. In a crate havingits opposite side and endwalls formed of parallel slatsv arranged with their opposite endsv disposed in overlapped superimposed relation, the up-per .most pairs of said slats being parallel and, ,d dsposed'in thesame plane, thelowermost pair `of slats being-V parallel with each other and with said uppermostpair, oneof said i parallelA pairs having longitudinally extending..V grooves formed 'inthe outerV horizontal Y vface thereoithe other of said parallel pairs having longitudinally extending tongues formed with the outer horizontal aoe thereo, whereby the tongues of one crate will Y engage in the grooves ofja vnext adjacent crate when two or more ofv the crates are staokedone upon the other, and a securing member engaged through the overlapping ends of ysaid `slats at eaoh corner of the crate.

2. In a Crate having itsoppositeside and f;- end wallsrformed of parallel slats arranged with their opposite ends disposed in overlapped superimposed relation, the uppermost pairs; of said slatslbei-ng parallel and disof slats `being parallel 'with each. other and withsaid uppermost pair, one ofsad'parallel pairs having longitudinally extending grooves lformed in the-'outer horizontal face thereof,1the other of saidparallel vpairs having longitudinally extending tongues formed kwithgthe outer horizontal face thereof, i whereby the tongues of one crate willengage inthe grooves of a next adjacent crate when two-*or more 'of the crates arev stacked one l j upon the other, a securing member engaged through the overlapping ends of said slats 'Y at eaoh corner of the `crate and'iat heads formedat one end of each of said members and seated in said grooves, theopposite ends of 'said' members being bentabout the outer horizontal/face of s aidtongues, said tongues being formed with transverse grooves for Y the reeeptionof said bent ends whereby said ends will lie substantially flush with' the surfaoe oI'l said tongues. s i

" y FRANK lH. WARREN 

